Apple Music Home Session: Future Utopia

For an artist who released one of 2020’s most ambitious albums—the 21-track 12 Questions put out under the Future Utopia moniker—there’s something arresting about hearing Fraser T. Smith take things right back to basics. “I think when you strip the production back, you really notice the quality of the song and the lyrics and melody,” the Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer says of his Apple Music Home Session. The result of that process is a soul-soothing take on “Mountain Girl,” 12 Questions’ Ruelle-featuring rumination on climate change, and a stunning, string-laden rework of “Stranger in the Night,” on which Arlo Parks exquisitely explores the pain of heartbreak. Last up, the producer calls on rising songwriter Mysie for a haunting cover of Tame Impala’s “Borderline.” The session—released on Christmas Day 2020—marks the end of a busy 12 months for Smith, and, of course, the end of a year during which musicians were forced to do things differently as the global pandemic hit. What has one of Britain’s premier songwriters learned during that time? “This year has definitely been a challenge for all of us,” he says. “I feel very self-contained as an artist now, as we’ve all been forced to dig into our space and creativity. The time alone has given me time to refine certain sounds in the studio and explore some of my beloved vintage synths. But we’re already planning a huge immersive live show for 12 Questions, and I’m excited to see the reaction and connect with our fans as soon as we can.” Smith’s mesmerising Apple Music Home Session is here to tide you over until then.